There have been numerous efforts to automate coating systems such as for example, coating systems employed for painting automotive car bodies, components and the like. Some of these efforts have resulted in automated coating systems, which utilize articulated robots, and semi-programmable machines referred to as reciprocators. Basically, all of the machines developed to-date relied upon rotating electric motors utilizing ball screw systems, chain/sprocket arrangements, and gear/rack arrangements in order to obtain linear motion, which is required to move a spray gun over a work piece in a back and forth stroking motion, these approaches are expensive, complicated and inefficient.